


Like Fire and Water

by Maybelifeistooshort



Series: Big Sister Azula [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azula is a Good Sister, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, older sister azula
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybelifeistooshort/pseuds/Maybelifeistooshort
Summary: Azula and her relationships throughout time with those around her.
Relationships: Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & The Gaang (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Big Sister Azula [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067780
Comments: 11
Kudos: 120





	1. Azula and Iroh

Azula was pretty sure she was still in shock. They had been on the ship for three days and Zuko still hadn’t woken up. She wanted to be by his side, but Iroh was the one tending to him. Someone needed to run the ship, and it seemed that she was the only one who could do so at the time. 

She was a little harsher than she meant to be when telling the captain that they needed to port, but Zuko was running out of bandages. Her little brother wouldn’t die of infection, and she would make sure of it. 

She was training when Iroh came up to her. If she cared about him, she would worry about the deep bags under his eyes and the deep set frown he had on opposed to his usual soft smile. His hands were shaky, something she had never seen before. 

She was… conflicted when it came to Iroh, to say the least. She had meant it when she called him a coward. He had been one of the most powerful generals the Fire Nation had ever seen. He was most likely one of the most powerful benders alive, yet he did nothing to stop Ozai from burning her brother. He had stopped her before she could do any damage to the man she had considered her father. But, he was with them. He cared about Zuko almost as much as she did, and he was helping him heal. Without him, Azula knew her brother would die. 

So when he walked over, she stopped training in respect, but she refused to greet him, just turning to him to see what he wanted. He hadn’t talked to her much, if at all, since she had screamed at him. She felt like he was there to say something important. 

Her mind immediately went to worst case scenarios when he was silent. Panic rose in her chest, worries about Zuko bubbling to the surface. She almost couldn’t breathe, but she kept her stance the same. 

“What do you want, Old Man?” She spat. It didn’t come out as harsh as she would have liked, but she was distracted. Just as she was about to say something else, he spoke up. 

“Niece,” He started. She interrupted him. 

“I’m not your niece. You lost that privilege when you let Zuko get hurt.” She seethed. “You can call me Azula.” 

“Azula,” Iroh corrected, “It’s important that you go to see your brother. He needs you more than ever right now.” He told her. She noticed his hand twitch, as if he wanted to reach out to her. She was glad he knew better, he needed his hands to help Zuko. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not a healer. That’s your job.” Azula told him, standing taller than she was before. 

Iroh gave her one of his looks, one that made her feel like he could see deep into her soul. One that made her want to ring his neck. 

“I know you’re scared,” He continued before she could disagree with him, “but Zuko needs everyone he loves there for him. Please, just have a cup of tea with me in his room and talk. Even if he’s asleep, he’ll know you’re there. It’ll help him heal.” Iroh promised. 

Azula wanted to disagree, to tell him to go and jump overboard if he was going to say something stupid, but she couldn’t get the words out. If Zuko needed her, she would be there. She had failed to save him once, and she would never forgive herself if she was the reason he died. 

She wasn’t the monster Ursa made her out to be. 

She gave a quick nod and followed Iroh to a back room. It had been a silent agreement to let Zuko have the biggest room. When he was better, Azula would fight him for it. She wasn’t sure if she would let him win or not, but he wouldn’t know either way that she considered it. 

The room no longer smelled like burnt flesh, something Azula was grateful for. Instead, the smell of medicine and tea leaves filled the room. It was familiar, if a little unpleasant. She sat down at the small table that Iroh had set up as he made them their tea. 

He sat a cup in front of her, and she took it, nodding at him. She refused to look at Zuko, not sure that she would be able to keep her composure around Iroh if she saw how bad the damage was. 

“So, Iroh.” She said his name as if it was poison, “We should have a plan for when Zuko wakes up.” Azula already had a plan, but she guessed that she could use the wisdom of a war general to help it strengthen. 

“I’m thinking we need to collect Mai and Ty Lee as soon as possible. They’ll have no problem coming with us, I’ll make sure of that.” She began, ignoring the look of pity that he gave her. She didn’t understand why he thought she would be emotional. 

“Azula. Plans can wait. Right now the plan is to help Zuko get back on his feet. He should be a part of the decision making.” He told her. His voice was soft, but it was obvious he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He looked back up at her, “But I do think it would be a good idea to collect your friends. You both could use some more peers. I’ll see what we can do.”

Azula let herself smile at the old man, glad that he wasn’t brushing her off like he usually would. She would admit that she held some resentment towards Iroh. It was obvious Zuko was his favorite, and he didn’t try to hide it. 

Iroh stood, looking down at Azula. “I’m going to go and get some more tea. Talk to Zuko while I’m gone. It may do both of you some good.” He told her, leaving her with the full pot of tea and her brother. 

Since she was alone, she let her shoulders drop and carefully turned to her brother. He looked awful. The bandages he had on were already getting soaked in blood, and his breathing was uneven, as if he was having a nightmare. 

She took her brother’s hand and sat next to him on the uncomfortable bed that was his. “I- I’m sorry. For letting this happen to you.” She told him. She knew no one could hear her, so she let out a shaky breath and continued. “I should have fought back. I won’t let there be a next time. I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt you. From now on. I promise.” Her voice broke on the last word, and she couldn’t stop herself from crying. 

She didn’t even hear the door open, jumping slightly when Iroh rubbed her back. If she felt any different, she would kill him then and there. Instead she fell into his arms and sobbed into his chest. He was the only other person who understood what she was going through, and she needed him there. 

They sat there for Sozin knows how long, Azula crying for the first time in a long time. Iroh didn't say anything aside from soft reassurances then and there. She whispered a thank you when she pulled away, standing up and going back to her room. 

Later, she would pretend it had never happened. She was lucky that Iroh knew to keep his mouth shut. His soft smile said too much still.


	2. Azula and the Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula doesn't take well to people badmouthing her brother

When Zuko woke up, he was less than pleased about their situation. He swore that they would find the avatar, despite the reminder that he had been missing for over a hundred years. He didn’t care. He swore that they would find him. Search every square inch of the world until they found him. 

So they would search. 

Zuko was angry all of the time. It was something Azula understood, and it was something she could work with. Iroh was the one who helped with meditating and feelings, but training to get the anger out? That was all Azula. 

At first, he was afraid of his fire. Fire in general really. So she gave him those stupid swords that he had begged to practice with and they sparred. Zuko won most of those, and she swore that when he got his fire back she would take him down a peg. The smile on his face when he won was almost worth it, though. Almost. 

She never let him win, so their matches could go on for hours. Some of the crew would watch and place bets, mostly on Azula. That only made Zuko angrier. She had taught him well though, so he focused that anger into his fire. He actually won a match or two that way. 

Zuko knew not to take his anger out on her. She outranked him, and he was smart enough to realize that if he tried anything, she would burn him to a crisp. She wouldn’t really, but she wasn’t going to be the one to say it. 

The crew wasn’t as lucky. Zuko would shout orders and discipline. Some part of Azula thought about him becoming a general, but she dismissed that thought almost immediately. Zuko wouldn’t be able to face the realities of war. She thought back to when he had sobbed over a fireweasel with a broken leg until Ursa agreed to help nurse the thing back to health. Hana was a good pet, and Zuko had cried again when they had to let her go. She wouldn’t let him see the tragedies of war. 

Azula supposed that she was little help, yelling at the crew and always siding with Zuko, even when his ideas were ridiculous. But, no one else would. Even Iroh, who promised to make sure that Zuko would be taken care of, tried to talk him down and out of ideas sometimes. He needed to know that she was on his side, always. 

There were a few whispers about them that were hard to miss. Most were about Azula, and she understood. It was hard to badmouth a kid that still had a burn mark on his face. Though Zuko had been adamant that no one on the ship knew where it came from, it was impossible not to pity him. 

When it started to heal, the crew got more comfortable talking back to him. Less worried about hurting his feelings. Azula wasn’t a big fan of the development, but before she could snap at them for being disrespectful to the prince, Iroh was always one step ahead, calming them down and getting them to continue with their work. 

Azula didn’t know how he was always so patient with Zuko. While he knew not to fight with her, he didn’t seem to have the same issue with yelling at their uncle. But Iroh was always able to take it in stride, one of the few things she admired about him 

She was walking by the break room door when she heard the crew talking about them, and what else was she supposed to do but stop and listen? She was a fifteen year old girl. Gossip was her world at times. At least, that would be her excuse if Iroh saw her listening in. 

“-Brats! The both of them! We work all day, work work work, and for what? For two spoiled brats to yell at us that we’re not doing anything? I swear, as soon as Iroh turns his back I’ll teach them a thing or two about discipline.”

“Iroh is just as bad if you ask me,” a woman added, “He just lets them get away with it. Treats the prince as if he’s made of glass and tells us that the princess is ‘learning’? He’s enabling those entitled little nightmares and if someone doesn’t stop them soon enough they’ll have too much power. They’ll be just like their father.” Azula couldn’t breathe when she heard that one. For a moment she thought that she heard Ursa’s voice say it. She had to shake her head before she continued to listen. 

“I know!” A younger man spoke up, his voice was still a little squeaky. “Just because of a training accident Iroh thinks the prince has to be treated with so much fragility! I’ll tell you what-” 

“Okay, tell me.” Azula interrupted. She had heard enough of the crew badmouthing her and her brother. She knew that if they were just talking about her or Iroh, she wouldn’t have stopped them. She would already be having her daily tea with Zuko and Iroh and talking about what to do next to find the Avatar. But they had just had to bring her baby brother into it. 

Everyone in the room froze when she made her presence known. She walked into the room slowly, making sure all eyes were on her before she spoke. She pulled out a chair and sat down, placing her elbows on the table. 

“Listen to me. You can say whatever you want about me and the old man. I don’t care. But if I ever hear you talk about my little brother like that again, I will make you wish that I had you thrown overboard.” She made a small azure flame appear in her hands, “I have some of the hottest fire the Fire Nation has ever seen. Don’t make me waste it on you. You don’t know what Zuko’s been through. Don’t act like you do.” She threatened. “Am I understood?” She asked. 

Azula was met with a few terrified nods and whispers of assurance, and she nodded back, standing up to leave the room. 

Iroh and Zuko were waiting for her back in Zuko’s room, and she wasn’t going to be late for tea. She was a princess after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I like this one as much, but that's okay.


	3. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Zuko collect their friends and get to be actual teenagers!

Getting Mai and Ty-Lee had been… a challenge to say the least. Mai’s family hadn’t let them near her, so it was up to Azula and Zuko to sneak her out near midnight. Azula disguised herself as a normal person, letting her hair down. 

Zuko seemed to have another idea. 

She told him that he looked stupid in the mask and costume, but he didn’t care. The guards gave him quizzical looks, but they were too busy trying not to get caught on the edges of the swords Zuko was fighting with. 

Getting up to Mai’s room was odd. It was a room Azula was familiar with, but one she thought that she would never see again. It had been her idea to collect their friends, but it was a long shot and she knew it. 

Mai was easy to convince. She made that stupid soft face when she looked at Zuko, then made it again when she heard the plan to collect Ty Lee next. Azula didn’t understand crushes. They just got in the way of things. 

Ty Lee was even easier, hugging the three of her friends until they couldn’t breathe. Azula was surprised that she was willing to leave her life so easily, but when she looked back at her friends and her little brother, she also understood. She would do anything for them. 

There weren’t enough rooms on the ship for everyone, and Azula had the biggest room. It was silently decided that she would have to share her room with her friends. It was something that felt like it should have made her mad, but for some reason it didn’t. She needed the closeness. 

Zuko calmed down a bit with the two girls on the ship as well. Mai was about as scary as Azula when she wanted to be, and the one time Zuko had yelled at Ty Lee she had burst into tears and Zuko had to help her calm down. 

Sparring was more fun with them around as well. While they weren’t benders, they were strong. It was fun, and sometimes Azula let herself lose count of the score. She probably won anyways, and they were practicing. That’s what mattered. 

Iroh was also thriving. Azula still wasn’t ready to forgive him, but she now understood why he had been so depressed when Lu Ten had died. When he was with them, he wasn’t a war general. He wasn’t the disgraced former Firelord’s son. He was a father. 

Finding the Avatar felt… less important. Zuko still brought it up sometimes, but now he was easy to distract. He had confided to Azula that he wasn’t sure why he even wanted to go home, since he had all the family he needed. Something just felt wrong about leaving. She agreed. 

The three teens sat around, eating their dinner. Mai was sat between Ty Lee and Zuko, smiling as they both held her hands. Azula wasn’t really sure what was going on with them, but she supposed, as long as they were happy, that it didn’t matter. 

Ty Lee went on, explaining a story about her and her siblings. Azula couldn’t imagine having so many. Zuko was more than enough, and she was sure that if there was even the smallest of change that their relationship would be the opposite of what it was. 

She let herself relax, calming her shoulders and letting her guard down for the first time in a long time. Iroh was keeping watch for any signs of danger or the Avatar, and she would be able to protect them if she really needed to. 

She also trusted that no one around her was going to turn against her. She trusted them, and she knew that they trusted her. It was a good feeling. 

They went to bed that night, Azula watching as Mai and Zuko tried to be subtle with their flirting. Azula was sure that she would ask questions if she was flirting with someone who wasn’t her brother, but some things she didn’t want to know about. Zuko’s love life was one of those things. 

“So, why us?” Ty Lee asked before any of them were asleep. 

“What do you mean?” Azula asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Why them? Who else would they trust. Who else did she know Zuko trusted. 

“Well you say that you chose us as allies and to help you find the Avatar. We can’t bend, and we’ve hardly looked for the Avatar in the month that we’ve been here.” Mai supplied unhelpfully. 

“Just because you can’t bend doesn’t mean that you’re useless. You’re smart and resourceful. And, well, I trust you not to stab me or Zuko in the back.” Azula told them honestly. She suddenly found it hard to look anywhere other than the floor. 

She was knocked over when Ty Lee tackled her in a hug, cooing as she kissed Azula’s cheek. “Aww! You love us!” 

“Get off of me! I will burn you to a crisp!” Azula shouted, though she showed no other signs of trying to get Ty Lee off of her. Mai took note of the small smile that Azula had on and filed that information away for later. 

Eventually, Ty Lee let her go and went back to her own bed. They talked a little bit, but soon they fell into a silence. It wasn’t like when Azula was alone, and it wasn’t anything like the stiff quietness of the palace. This was comfortable. Warm. 

Azula pulled the uncomfortable and scratchy blanket more around her and rested her eyes. She still felt so warm and safe, even though Ty Lee had already let her go. The snoring in the corner of the room somehow wasn’t annoying, but comforting. Azula wasn’t alone. It was nice. 

She closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep. It was nice to have friends. She was thankful to have them. Even though she was exiled and no longer living the life of a princess, she couldn’t say that there was any other place in the four nations she’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me so long to write this one, but I found the time at two in the morning. I hope you liked it!! Comments fuel me.

**Author's Note:**

> This one is kind of an experiment. If it does well, I'll write more like it. If not, I'll go back to oneshots. Any feedback is welcome, positive or negative. I love hearing your ideas. Kudos and comments are appreciated. Have a lovely day!


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